How it unfolded: With Gibson out and Mike Marshall asking out of the lineup with a headache, manager Tommy Lasorda wondered how he’d even put eight position players on the field, plus fill a designated hitter spot.

NBC’s Bob Costas did, too. In the pregame show, Costas said that lineup may be the worst lineups ever put on the field in World Series history. Lasorda ran with it and used it as a rally cry in the locker room.

This became the pivotal game in the series.

The Dodgers managed to take a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a passed ball and groundout. A third run in the third inning came via an Oakland error. And the Dodgers took a 4-2 lead on pinch-hitter Tracy Woodson beating out a double-play grounder in the seventh.

Key play: With two outs in the seventh, Lasorda had no one he could trust in the bullpen left except Howell, so the closer came in to the final seven outs. He got Mark McGwire to pop out to first with the bases loaded and end the seventh. Howell struck out Walt Weiss with the tying run aboard to end the eighth inning. And in the ninth, Howell struck out Jose Canseco and got Dave Parker to foul out to third to end the game with the tying run on and McGwire in the on-deck circle. He ended Game 3 with a home run against Howell one night earlier.